:( :( Tropheus Moorii Nkonde (near) Disaster... :( :(

[BrownBullhead]

Tropheus Moorii Nkonde (Near) Disaster...

The 55 which is a "temporary" setup for my (formerly) 19 T. Moorii Nkonde was accumulating waste in some tight spots, so I decided to rip it down, drain off 50% of the water and re-build it.

I moved my 19 Tropheus to a 20-gallon cooler that I always use for this sort of thing along with 15 gallons of water from the tank. I closed the cooler lid as I always do so the darkness keeps them calm and less stress.

60 minutes or so later when I finished maintenance, I opened the lid to find all 19 fish laying on their sides! I couldn't believe what I was seeing! I immediately plunged in to literally grab fishes and throw them back into their proper aquarium! As I was doing so, some immediately showed more signs of life and started swimming around, although their colours are whacked out and pale! So as I watch them in the 30 minutes prior to writing this message, 2 have died. I notice the water in the cooler is very yellow!? What the heck!?

I had "vented" them during the move and I had 10 males and 9 females... not a good ratio but what the heck. This was the first time I had ever vented my fish. And now I lost two... but I haven't even taken the dead ones out yet, I am in utter disbelief at the circumstances and at myself!

Why does this happen to one's favourite fishes?

17 of them seem to be making a comeback... only time will tell!

More later...

 

[BrownBullhead]

So as per the venting, I had 10 males and 9 females...

It ends up I lost 3, not 2 as previously stated... now here's what bites... lost 1 male and 2 females... so down to 9 males and 7 females. *grumble*

So much for breeding in this colony!

I had 25 when I got the colony in May... lost 6 due to "bloat" shortly thereafter... not a single loss until the 3 today... so down to 16 in my colony.

*sigh* Oh well... fecal matter happens.

 

[BrownBullhead]

In retrospect, there was a couple of variables from my normal routine I would have employed... I didn't insert a pump & airstone this time, and I had also closed the lid completely while I was working, thinking that i could reduce stress by eliminating light and visuals of my movements. I failed to consider the lack of oxygen / fresh air for the container. Also, I had missed a water change previously so I think my water was not so "fresh" to begin with... so all-in-all, I kind of set myself up for failure on this one!

I have had many ups-and-downs in my 7 months or so of keeping Tropheus... I am going to get around to writing about my experiences and posting them on the forum here and maybe I can save a newbie some of the troubles I have put myself through in the errors I have made keeping Tropheus.